Berlin

Well, we made it to Berlin and back in one piece... not to mention poorer, but that was to be expected. We went despite not really having the money to go since Andrew goes to the field for 2 months again this weekend-- it was really our last chance to get away as a family before he deploys after Christmas. Abbie was a trooper and a half. She was very very good on the trains (4 hours total each way) and let us drag her all over the city with very little complaining. We went and saw Brandenburg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie-- and of course the main reason for going was the zoo. Brandenburg Gate was pretty cool, but Checkpoint Charlie is way overhyped. It was just a replica of the shack that used to be there, sitting on a median in the middle of the road. Oh, and we can't forget the picture of some actor there. That was it. We trekked all the way down there, and all we can do is say we've seen it, in all of it's completely exaggerated glory. The zoo was fantastic though-- Abbie loved seeing the animals, and their zoo is much more open than zoos in the US. I can tell you that anyone who has seen the baboons in Cincinnati-- you aren't missing much by being that far away. Their day-glow red butts are seriously hideous if you're any closer that American zoos allow!

We didn't do the typical thing and seek out real German food for our meals-- we stuck with American-esque chains that we don't have in our little tiny town; Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks, and Hard Rock... and if we like Schlotzky's we would have stopped there too. Abbie loves eating at Hard Rock though, with all the lights and shiny stuff on the walls... and of course the sugar packets! She looks like such an addict!

It is amazing though, to see the differences in the city between east and west Berlin. Once you left the main downtown area and headed east, things got really shabby. I can only imagine how incredible the difference was when the wall was still up. There is a major graffitti problem on the east side-- Abbie kept pointing it out becasue she knows that coloring on the wall is not allowed. Trash everywhere, places smell like day old pee, and scruffy hobos loitering in doorways. Not the most pleasant place to live. Even though the sun was out while we were there, the city had a dreary aura. Everyone was always in a rush (especially by European standards), the people were way ruder than the French are said to be (although I didn't find that was the case in France), and it seemed like everything had a cloud of despair over it. There were many places that were never restored after WWII, like a church that was missing most of it's steeple, had a huge hole blown in the side, no more stained glass, and dents everywhere from various things that go boom.


It really isn't a place I think I would like to visit again, but I am glad we went. We have now seen all the major places in Germany we would like to, the only thing left is Oktoberfest in Munich-- which I may have to do next year with the girls while all the men are in Iraq (unless anyone wants to come out and go with me... Jody...?). It is good that we have been given the chance to live overseas and visit all of these places that cost thousands and weeks for people in the US on whims and weekends (and for much cheaper since most are daytrips!). While I am glad we moved here, I'm ready to go back... there are so many things we took for granted until they were unavailible here, and while I will miss some things about Germany I am perfectly ok with them just being fond memories. This is the longest we have lived in one place for a long time, and now I find myself just looking for the movers...